Check
out our NEW FREE online resources, including the SQ3R
sheet for reading
and the Paragraph
Graphic Organizer for writing. These are forms you
can fill in online and print, or have your students fill them in
and print them for class!

Join us at the end of this
February for the 100th Issue of our newsletter,
Features for Teachers.

Sent to a readership of over 25,000
educators each month, articles from Features for Teachers
are utilized in classrooms all around the country and across the
world.

We're looking for comments, ideas,
tips, techniques, and stories from our readers to share in this
special issue. Have you used information from our
website? Have our articles made a positive impact on your
students or teaching craft? Wish to share a note of
thanks?

If you'd like to contribute a message or article for our
Centennial Issue, pleases email right away.

Dr. Mike (Coach) Kanitz has been involved in
athletics and education for 60 years at the high school,
collegiate, and semi-professional (coaching) levels. He was
recently honored with his induction into the Michigan Amateur
Football Hall of Fame. He believes strongly in the
interconnection of schooling and athletics.

Coaching and teaching are the same thing in reality.
To distinguish them as separate entities would be a mistake. After
thirty some years in the classroom, I can honestly say that starting out
as a young teacher/coach was very difficult. What I didnít know and
couldnít know was that my Quarterback would some day be my realtor, my
Guard would be my dentist, and one of my Centers would be a car
dealer/owner I would buy two cars from. A star Defensive Back would make
the FBIís Ten Most Wanted List and a Defensive End would become the
warden of the Watergate prison.

I say Ďmyí because of the energy invested in each
and all of these youngsters as students and athletes. The oilman who
visits two weeks per year at his million-dollar condo near my apartment
was my manager. I never should have yelled at him that much! When my
children were small and the school secretary would say to me, ďYou
just wait until your children are in high school.Ē

I couldnít have known! Her kids were in high school and I couldnít
have known the burden of parenting teenagers! While I was heavy into
discipline, I didnít know discipline was a form of love or respect. As
a young teacher I didnít know that you never take anything youngsters
do personally. I incorrectly thought they were stabbing me in the back
when they broke ďmyí rules. I wasnít the smartest coach/teacher,
but I really was dumb!

Teaching would have been even more rewarding for me if I had understood
that delaying gratification in seeing the fruits of oneís labor was
part of the career choice. There is no immediate feedback for the
tremendous energy put forth by a teacher. A coach gets a winning season
some of the time and a teacher gets a peaceful semester some of the
time. But, most of the time, the rewards come a long time after the work
is applied. I didnít understand that dynamic and that led to the
pressure and frustration of trying to get it right!
I always thought batting 300 was something special. How did I not know
striking out was 700 percent of the time? How did I not know the space
rocket was off course 90 percent of the time on its way to the moon? Why
did I think it took off and went straight to the moon, orbiting on its
way?

How come I wasnít told that success in future life
has only one statistically significant correlation. And that is
involvement in co-curricular or extra curricular activities. I assumed
future success was related to academics and grades!

Did they try to tell us that teaching wouldnít be all roses in those
teacher-education classes? Was I not listening?

Late in my career I finally figured it out. Teaching was a journey, not
a destination! When a person gives the self-permission to enjoy the
journey, everything seems to change. The individual stops sweating the
small stuff, because everything is the small stuff! Teaching is a gift
you keep giving back, not something you keep for yourself. When I
learned that secret, teaching became a real joy.

I wish I wasnít a slow-learner!

Join our Online Community!

Receive weekly articles right
in your email and
discuss educational issues with other teachers from around the
world.

There
are six modules designed to test the basic ability of an
individual in terms of Memory & Concentration. Needless to
say this is the most important basic skill for not just to
survive but also to thrive in this competitive environment.
Each of the six modules tests the six variants of Memory &
Concentration in an individual, namely:

1.

Picture
recognition

2.

Paired Associate
Learning

3.

Immediate Recall

4.

Serial processing

5.

Parallel
processing

6.

Recognition and
Recall

Each
of these modules runs at three different levels, from easy to
difficult.

At each level, the individual's performance is depicted as
Scores Obtained.

A feedback has been built into the software for all these 18
levels depending on the marks one scores during the
test.

Each individual can assess his/her performance any time by
clicking on "history", which gives complete details
of date and time of taking the tests, marks scored each time
and even time taken to do the test. This builds the confidence
level and encourages more participation to eventually
culminate in improvement and enhancement of memory and
concentration.

Essentially, this software is a SELF AWARENESS tool that
surely motivates the individual to realize one's capability
and seek or be receptive for improvement. Also, if repeatedly
done over a period of time works as Training tool to enhance
their capability.

This
software package is specifically designed to help young
children to learn basic skills that will help them in
school. Continued follow-up will give these young
learners success as they mature.

Three versions of the software exist:
Individual Software on either CD or Online, Family
Version Software, and an Institutional Software package.

StarTeaching wholeheartedly supports
and endorses this software. It will make a difference
with your child or student.

Mark's latest
articles are about changing our classrooms and teaching styles
to reflect 21st Century learners.

Have
you ever thought about why you take grades? I used to believe that it
was important to grade every assignment that I had the students do. I
felt I was doing a disservice to them if I didn't grade everything. This
resulted in a lot of grades, but did it result in a lot of learning?

I believe it builds a wrong way of thinking in the students and causes
them to see school as a place where they get a lot of grades, and not as
a place of learning.It also
leads us, as teachers, to think the same way. Do you teach to get
grades, or is your motivation to help children learn?

Grades are just a measure of what someone understands and their level of
understanding. At least that's what they're suppose to be. We should be
using formative assessment constantly to know where students are, but
should these assessments be graded. Does this reflect where a student is
at, or how they learn?

What do I mean by that? Think about how you learn. When something is new
to you and you are just learning about it, do you truly understand it at
first? Probably not at first. But as you deal with it over and over
again you get better at whatever the skill is. Let's use math as an
example. When I'm learning my multiplication facts, I don't learn them
all at once. I also don't' learn them at the same speed as others. Maybe
it takes me longer. Now let's factor in taking grades on everything a
student does. Does the grade reflect whether they know the material, or
how fast they can learn it? Is learning about speed, or understanding?

So why do we grade everything, when a student is just beginning to learn
it? This makes no sense, unless our motivation is just to teach the
students and get grades.

Let's raise the bar of our profession higher. Our motivation should be
to teach in a way that helps everyone become a lifelong self motivated
learner. Our grading should reflect that, and not hinder it with certain
attitudes.

So what should we do as teachers do? Formative assessment should be a
constant, and because of these assessments we should adjust our teaching
to help those who aren't understanding it yet. Grades should only be
taken when you feel the students have had enough experience in the
skill. From this assessment, we have another chance to reassess whether
our method of teaching is working, and if not, adjust again. All of this
works towards that final summative assessment.

In summing up, it's not about how many grades we get, but the quality of
what our grading reflects.

Mark Benn earned his B.S. from Western
Michigan University and his Elementary Certification from
Northern Michigan University. He is a 20 year teaching
veteran of 5th and 6th grade students at Inland Lakes Middle
School in Indian River, MI. He is currently working on
Masters of Integration of Technology from Walden University.

Prior to teaching, Mark spent 11 years as Department Manager for
Sears, Roebuck and Co. dealing with emerging technologies.
He has been married to his wife Bonnietta for 32 years with one
daughter and two sons. In the summers, Mark works for
Mackinac State Historic Parks in the as a historical
interpreter.

By Mr. Salman Noorallah and
Miss Salima Moosa Sewani

Teaching is not a profession of last resort. Itís a profession of
dedication.

Teachers are the leaders of every nation.
They are the role models of their students. Their responsibilities
towards teaching are increasing day by day, as students are highly
concerned about what is taught to them by their teachers. Teachers are
the only ones who mold the future of their students by imparting quality
education with intellectual openness.

There are many teachers who might
have impressed you by their communication skills or by their teaching
style. But thereíre only few teachers in this world who are bestowed
with both intellect and talents. They are the ones who make us feel as
if they are our real parents.

The following is an interview
taken with one of the rising teachers of our nation.

He is one of the most famous and eminent teachers of this
era in Pakistan. Though he is young, his 8 years of teaching experience
has not only changed the lives of many students, but also his
personality can not be compared with any other teacher in our country.

It was an honor for me to interview
a teacher of such high caliber.

He is none other than Munir Moosa
Sewani. You might have heard his name on national and international
websites, newspapers, and magazines. First, I will provide his short
biography:

Munir Moosa Sewani is one of the
most famous, prominent and creative names in the field of education over
the past 8 years. He is a Master Trainer In Special Education, Post
Graduate, Teacher, Master Trainer, Career Counselor, Professional
Writer, and a Freelancer.

He is an author of the famous,
self-published storybook for children titled, "THE MORAL STORIES
FOR CHILDREN" This book won the BEST E-BOOK FOR CHILDREN
AWARD by the Nancy Fernandes Institute in 2006.

He has also written a biology
course book for secondary classes. He has written more than 30 articles
on social, health, educational and cultural issues, which are
internationally recognized and published on many famous world wide
websites, magazines and newspapers.

He is also a Social worker, private
tutor, musician, lyrics writer and has countless multi- dimensional
talents.

His future plan is to write dozens of informative books
and articles and to work for the improvement of education.

Could you please tell us
something about yourself?

My name is Munir Moosa Sewani and I am 25 years of age. I am a simple,
conservative, somewhat introversive, but broad-minded person. I am a
helpful and a kind person. For more, you should ask my students, or my
relatives.

When did you decide to enter the
field of Education?

I always had a wish to work for the improvement of the Education System
of
Pakistan
. When I was in my school, I usually felt that the field of Medicine
would be best for me. But somehow, as time passed, I realized that I
have a keen interest in the field of Education. So it had not happened
magically. Every thing was planned in my mind.

When did you start your teaching
career?

I started off by giving tuitions after my Matriculation. That is how I
started my teaching career.

Could you please tell us some of
your achievements in the field of Education?

Simply, I received many awards, medals and certificates for my services.
I finished in fifth position in my Intermediate. I received 2
awards from the Governor of Sindh. I received more than 10 certificates
from different officials since Matriculation. My first book won the best
seller book title in the field of Science. My e-book has already won
Best e-book title. If you would like to know more, you can search for me
on the Internet. Itís all there.

Are you a Dictator?

No way! I am a humble teacher who
teaches with a lot of dedication. If the student is co-operative, a
teacher could work hard to polish their skills easily. Otherwise, all
the attempts might end in smoke. Sometimes my students feel as if I am
showing my dictatorship; but they know that I have true and kind
feelings for them. I want to make their future bright. Nothing else!

Do you think that teaching is a
difficult profession?

Teaching is the specialized field of
education, and it requires proper education, training and inborn
adoration for children. Itís not an easy profession. Time has passed
when those who did not get good job opportunities shifted themselves
into the field of teaching in order to earn a livelihood. Today teaching
is a professional liberal art field. Teaching requires skills that can
be brought out by earning professional certifications or taking degree
courses.

Teaching involves being with children or
with colleagues to design syllabi or problem solving too. For me, this
field is not difficult.

WhWhat are the flaws in our education system here in Pakistan?

Education is the key towards success for
every country. It helps to boost the economy and to generate a
democratic society in a country. The main resource of any country is
human resources. If we'll prepare educated humans in our society in
advance, by providing proper education facilities to our younger
generation, then we could move towards the path of success undoubtedly.

In the attempt to improve school results,
many teacher educators and education counselors are trying their level
best to find the roots of poor academic achievement of school students.
Educational Psychologists have also developed many tests to judge and
improve the skills of students, but the real cause of the most important
question, "what makes the student frustrated to back out of
education so easily?" has yet to be found.

Some point the finger at the outrageous
homework loads students are given by the teachers. Students are
overburdened with academic demands of questionable value and, as a
result, end up indifferent to studies, exhausted, and worn out. In
addition, the heavy loads of books are not worthwhile, until and unless
the students are ready to go through it.

The reason for the poor academic
achievement could be any out of these But the question is why the
student's academic records are more successful in European and American
Countries than here in our country?

The answer is that those students are keen
to learn and explore things. No overloading of bookwork is given to
them. The books in these countries are well integrated too.

Teachers in Pakistan even sometimes avoid
researching, and simply teach whatever is given in the textbook.

"The main contributing factors that
lead to low learning proficiency of students according to my experience
as a teacher are as follows:"

1. Incomprehension of the Studying Purpose

The main reason why so many students don't feel interested in what they
are doing at school is the incomprehension of their studying routine. A
vast majority of private and government teachers are not even bothered
to explain to their students what the learning outcomes are, why they
need to achieve them, nor how they will be assessed. Mostly teachers
take out their textbooks and start making a wrong impression of rote
learning on students, and then evaluate their students without seeing
the capabilities of any particular child. Students are not encouraged to
write their own answers. Despite this, some teachers want their student
to copy the same answer in the examination, which they have taught or
were made to write.

Thus, the writing and analytical thinking
skills get hamper, for which we can't blame a student.

Students just accomplishe their tasks by
command, which needs to be bluntly carried out. Students prepare
projects; submit reports etc just to get extra marks, without knowing
the purpose of their study.

2. Wrong Assessment Process

Assessment means to evaluate children's
capabilities, not to judge them.

Assessment in
Pakistan
is often wrongly intended by teachers as a punishment for students, or
creating traps to catch them out. Grades seem to exist in order to show
students' errors, mistakes and drawbacks in the study area, rather than
to give students a reasonable chance of demonstrating their achievements
of specific learning goals. Using the same questions for five years,
poorly designed curriculum decisions, changing of the courses at the
last moment of the end of the year are going on in secondary and higher
classes. Assessment should not be based on counting the pages which a
student fills. Rather than this, the evaluating system should be
changed. Invigilators should be well educated to judge the learning
tasks and own input, or else the wrong assessment process, which has
been going on for a long time would create a fearful attitude in
students towards assessment.

Students are learning not for acquiring
knowledge but for getting a "pass." Students who work hard get
low marks because the teacher checks the paper according to their
knowledge and often forgets student effort of contributing towards
answering questions.

3. Teachers Fault

With classes consisting of more than 15-20 children, many students feel
deprived of the due attention on their teacher's part. Teachers are the
leaders and a role models for every student. Every student wants to be
unique and wants his or her place in teachers' heart. They are placed
among the great lot of students without their personal interests, and
problems with studying being taken into account. As a result, students
don't feel cared about, lose their identity, become indifferent to
studies and lose faith in the brighter future.

Teacher should treat their students equally
and give proper attention to every student of his/her class.

5. Wrong attitude of parents

Many parents are "performance oriented," which emphasizes
results such as students' grades, rather than knowing whether their
child have mastered the material or not. They just want their child to
be on the top of the list and that's all.

Children get frustrated when parents keep a
lot of expectations from them. It burdens the student and de-motivates
them most of the time.

There are many parents who tells their
child in advance that they have to join their fathers or forefather's
business after passing school, which also makes students less motivated
to perform well in examination and thus poor performance is seen in the
results, just because of the wrong impression embossed by parents on
their children.

Which articles have you written so far?

I have written more than thirty
articles so far. They are educational, social and health based. You can
find few of them on any search engine. Type Munir Moosa Sewani and
search my name. Every month, you will find new pages on search engines.
While for new articles, you should be in touch with local and
international newspapers, magazines, and newsletters such as www.StarTeaching.com

Do you want to keep yourself in
the profession of teaching forever, or have you planned to change your
field?

I like this question very much.
Well, truly, I am a person having most of the talents related to the media.
You just name it, and I have it. Singing, piano playing, lyrics writing,
music composing, concept and script writing, directing, set designing,
documentaries and movies concepts, etc; I donít know why I have such
talents, which are contradictory to my nature.

Although I am very much attracted
towards working for media, I guess the media is for me but I am not
necessarily for the media. I am a very shy person, which most of the
people donít know. Itís almost impossible for me to adjust in any
environment easily, and especially I donít like to attend
marriages, festivals, parties or outings. That is a part of my nature,
which I canít blame. It doesnít mean that I am proud; no way!! I am
a down to earth guy, but I like my nature very much. I am consulting my
heart, and hope so soon I will make up my mind for the media too. As far
as other field is concerned, I donít know about my mind. I want to
taste every field. At least, I have decided to be in the field of
education for two more years. Then I will decide about the future. But
as time will pass, writing, teaching and media will surely go side by
side in my life. My other passion is to join the POLITICAL LIFE soon.

Any tips for the students!!!

Take interest in your studies from the first day
of your term.

Take a highlighter and mark all the important
points for thorough revision.

Do not rely on five years paper. Just learn every
thing from books/ notes.

Do not just read. Make notes. In fact
summarizing and condensing notes focuses your mind.

Use short cuts for hard sentences to memorize
them effectively.

Do improve your writing speed so that you could
cover your paper in the given period of time.

Do not try to write extra than is asked in the
examination paper.

Do not use a highlighter in your answer sheet.
Just use black and blue pen for heading purpose.

Do not use ink-remover in an examination as it
might fade off the written work after a few days.

Do not use high levels of vocabulary, which your
examiner could not understand.

Firstly, I would like to thank all-mighty Allah for showing me the right
pathway. My parents, whose sternness has brought me closer to the real
scenario of life. Then comes my students because I wouldnít be here
without their prior support and appreciation.

Just two messages,

ď Never hurt any one's feelings,
because God never sanctifies those who hurts other.Ē

ď Learn and give respect to
your elders. Do what you think is good for you. Do not hesitate to
execute your dreams. Always think critically, rather than accepting
every thing. Do your best and always think positive.Ē

Salima Moosa Sewani has been in the field of
teaching for 7 years. She is running her own Learning Center and
also working with the Exceptional People. This is her first
experience to share with the audience. She is a Master Trainer
and has done many teaching certifications.

Year of the
Dogman
A new novel by Frank Holes, Jr.

Part mystery, part science fiction, Year
of the Dogman is an imaginative, compelling, and adrenaline-pumping
adventure. Author Frank Holes, Jr. takes no prisoners in creating a
diabolical creature that leaves the forest to prey on the hapless hamlet
of
Twin
Lakes
in
Northern Michigan
. When night falls, the nocturnal beast, Dogman, scares the living
daylights out of anyone he happens upon as he searches for a timeless
treasure stolen from a Native American tribe. In the midst of the chaos, a
young teacher is forced to put two and two together no matter how high the
cost to rid the village of the treacherous man-beast who thrives on
destruction and terror.

The Dogman, a creature of
MythMichigan, is an excellent example of modern-day folklore to
study in your classes.

New
Teachers' Niche:
A Place for New Teachers, Student Teachers, and Interns

Group
Work In Class

The business world tells us that they want
people who are good at collaboration. Being that our job is to
prepare the students for the future, this skill should become
part of what we teach in the classroom.

Planning and preparation are key to getting your groups underway. The
first thing to do as you prepare to use group work as part of the
learning process is to setup your groups. Never allow the students to
set up the groups; you are only inviting disaster. There are many ways
to set up groups. I like to spread the abilities out among the
groups. The smartest student isn't always the one who can lead
the group
through to a conclusion. I also like to mix boys and girls up in the
groups. They tackle problems from different ways, so it enhances the
learning taking place. Also, change the groups after every section, so
they learn to work with different people. This makes it a more real
world experience.

Size of the group is another part of the equation. A lot depends on
the lesson being used. Two person groups are fine for a short-term
group that lasts one day. If you are going to have it go longer, the
group should be at least three to four students. The reason for this
is the fact that what is the group going to do if the next day one of
the students isn't there? With three or four students you will at
least have a group of two or three to continue on if someone is
missing.

As you begin the groups, realize the students may not know how to work
in a group. This is something that we as teachers shouldn't take for
granted. Talk about using listening skills, the fact that only one
person is speaking at a time. Explain that arguing doesn't solve
anything. They must learn, when there are differences of opinion, to
share why they feel the way they do and support it with reasons. We
also talk about the importance that everyone be a participant in the
group process. Another thing I tell the groups is that they are not to
ask me, the teacher, a question until they've talked about it in the
group. If the group can't answer the question, then I will gladly help
them out as a group. This fosters dependence on their group.
Focus is the most important part of using groups as a tool for
learning. If you as a teacher don't provide a structure within the
lesson, you will lose the students.

I like to call this the "Driving Question". This is what
they are to be focusing on as they work together. Decide what you want
them to learn, set the goals, and then communicate to the students
your expectations.

In conclusion, from observation and research that collaboration (group
work) when used properly can be an excellent learning tool. I hope you
will find using this learning tool as stimulating and rewarding as I
have, both for the students and yourself.

You can see the second part of this article, detailing more of the
'nuts & bolts' of getting your groups underway, and describing a
few example projects you can use in class, on our website. Simply
click http://www.starteaching.com
for more. Be sure to sign up for our free newsletter while you're
there!

Be sure to check out our website for the FREE teacher Who-I-Want-To- Be
plan and other great Freebies for new teachers. Simply click the
following link: http://www.starteaching.com/free.htm

Be sure to check out our website for more great
information, tips, and techniques for new teachers,
student-teachers, and interns in teacher prep programs. Also be
sure to check out our Who-I-Want-To-Be teacher plan for
preparing yourself to enter the educational profession. Simply
click the following link: http://www.starteaching.com/free.htm

Be sure to check out our website for more great
information, tips, and techniques for new teachers,
student-teachers, and interns in teacher prep programs. Also be
sure to check out our Who-I-Want-To-Be teacher plan for
preparing yourself to enter the educational profession. Simply
click the following link: http://www.starteaching.com/free.htm

Are There Other Teachers in Your
School or District Who Would Love to Receive Our Newsletter?

Be sure to
pass along our website and newsletter!

"The
Wise Sage"Author Unknown

Themes
on Life

The power of words...

There once was a wise sage who wandered the
countryside. One day, as he passed near a village, he was
approached by a woman who told him of a sick child nearby. She
beseeched him to help this child.

So the sage came to the village, and a crowd gathered around him,
for such a man was a rare sight. One woman brought the sick child
to him, and he said a prayer over her.

"Do you really think your prayer will help her, when medicine
has failed?" yelled a man from the crowd.

The sage yelled back to the man, "You know nothing of such
things! You are a stupid fool!"

The man became very angry with these words and his face grew hot
and red. He was about to say something, or perhaps strike out,
when the sage walked over to him and said: "If a few words
have such power as to make you so angry and hot, may not another
set of words have the power to heal?"

And thus, the sage healed two people that day.

See more of our Freebies as well as Special
Reports on our website by clicking the quick link below:

Are you interested in advertising with us?
Want to reach an audience of thousands each month? The
StarTeaching newsletter is sent out twice a month, and advertising is
available on our website.
Click the link below for more information:Advertise
with Us!

Need a position in a K-12 school, administration, or a coaching
job? Our website has just gained access to a specialized
service just for our members and newsletter readers. Job
listings, application and interviewing tips, and priceless
information, at your fingertips!